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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. ALEXANDER & W. E. THOMPSON. 00m AGTUATED APPARATUS.

N0.v 593,152. Patented Nov. 2-, 1897.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. ALEXANDER & W. E. THOMPSON. 00m AGTUATED-APPARATUS.

No. 593,152. Patented Nov. 2, 1897.

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WILCIE'ESEE lgve km g UNITED STATES PATET rrrcn.

XVILLIAM ALEXANDER, OF BIRKENHEAD, AND WILLIAM EDWARD THOMPSON, OFLIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

COIN-ACTUATED APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,152, dated November2, 1897.

Application filed April28, 1896. Serial No. 589,453. (No modal.)Patented in England October 26, 1894, No. 20,475, and

November 17,1894,Nos. 22,217 and 22,217".

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it kn own that we, WILLIAM ALEXANDER, civil engineer, residing at 28Rocky Bank Road, Devonshire Park, Birkenhead, in the county of Chester,and WILLIAM EDWARD THOMPSON, mechanical engineer, residing at 37Madelaine Street, Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, England,subjects of the Queen of Great Britian, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Coin-Freed or Coin-Actuated Apparatus, (for whichwe have received patents in England, No. 20,475, dated October 26, 1894,and Nos. 22,217 and 22,217, dated November 17, 1894,) of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to coin-freed or coinactuated mechanism, and isspecially adapted for use in connection with meters for measuring ordelivering fluids such as gas, water, electricity, &c.

The invention consists of certain novel constructions, combinations, andarrangements of parts, all of. which will be hereinafter moreparticularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 represents a rear elevation of one form of mechanism constructedaccording to our invention. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of thesame. Fig. 3 represent-s'a detail front elevation of a portion of Fig.2. Fig. 4 represents a section on line a a, Fig. 2, with a part of themechanism removed. Fig. 5 represents a detail central verticallongitudinal section through the cylinder containing the operatingspiral. Fig. 6 represents a vertical transverse section on line b b,Fig. 2. Fig. 7 represents a plan view of said devices with parts removedfor olearness. Fig. 8 represents a transverse vertical section on linea; :0, Fig. 2.

A in the drawings represents an escapement-wheel which is locked or heldin position by a pawl B, pivoted at B to the framework. Said pawl isprovided with two arms 3) b, respectively. The arm I) is provided with alateral projection B that is adapted to be engaged bylaterally-projecting pins A A on wheel A, and thus normally prevent saidwheel from turning. The arm b is provided with a lateral projection Bthe office of which will be hereinafter more fully described.

The projection 13 engages normally with projections A on theescapement-wheel A, while the projection B rests under the periphery ofa disk or coin-carrier O, provided with a notch or recess G, into whichthe projection B must enter before the pawl B can be moved and theprojection 13 thrown out of engagement with the projection A of wheel A.This notch or recess is so arranged that it will be opposite theprojection B when a coin-slot O in the disk or coin-carrier G isopposite the coin-slot D, formed in the frame, as shown. Now if a coinbe inserted at D it will rest on the periphery of the disk until theslot in the latter is brought opposite to it, when it will enter theslot and be carried around with the said disk, (which is rotated bymeans of a hand-wheel E from the outside,) having first raised thelocking-pawl out of engagement with the wheel A. The lockingpawl israised by the coin, which when in the coin-slot bears against the noseof the pawl and when pressure is applied turns it on its pivot B untilit is clear of the projection A The wheel A is then rotated by the coinengaging lateral projections A formed thereon through a certain angle,preferablyhalf a revolution, until it again becomes locked by the pawlresumingits original or locked position, the coin falling out of thedisk or carrier into a suitable receptacle. The inclined edge of therecess O forces the projection 13 away from the spindle 0 again on therotation of the carrier, thereby insuring the return of the pawl to itslocked position. The operation of inserting coins may then be repeatedand the escapement-wheel' rotated for each coin inserted through afurther angle equal to the first. The pawl B is so formed that directlyafter it is raised clear of the projections on the wheel A it falls backagain to the back of the projection and the coin prevents any backwardrotation of the coin-carrier or the 9 5 wheel as long as the coinremains in the carrier.

By referring to the drawings, Fig. 8, it will be seen that thecoin-carrier O is rigidly mounted on a spindle c and that the wheel IOOA is loosely mounted on the reduced end of said spindle. The wheel A isconnected with the .supply and registering mechanism by means of animproved form of gearing, which when the said wheel is rotated liberatesor sets in motion the supply apparatus, and when the quantity of gas,water, &c., paid for has been delivered orregistered shuts off thesupply. In this case the esca'pementwheel A has teeth F on its face,gearing with a bevel-wheel G, mounted loosely on a spindle G. F is atube or cylinder also mounted loosely on the spindle G at one end andcarrying a toothed wheel F at the other end,

said wheel gearing with the ordinary indexgearing of the meter, asshownat Fig. 6.

H is a helix or spiral fixed at one end 11', Fig. 5, to theaforementioned bevel-wheel G and operated thereby on the insertion of acoin.

H is a stop or projection mounted on the spindle G, so as to be free torotate, but havin g no longitudinal movement thereon, which stop passesthrough a slot F in the cylinder F. Thus if the escapement-wheel A berotated by the insertion of a coin it will cause, by means of thebevel-gearing F and G, the helix or spiral II to rotate also, and thestop I1 which engages in the coils of the helix, will be moved away froma catch J, which operates a valve J, (see Fig. 4,) thereby libcratingthe supply mechanism. The stop or' projection H is guided and preventedfrom rotating during this movement by engaging the slot F in thecylinder F, which latter, as before stated, is geared to the metermechanism, but it will be obvious that other guiding devices may beemployedsueh as, for instance, parallel bars. When the stop orprojection H has traveled a distance proportional to the number of coinsinserted, the cylinder F is then rotated by the meter mechanism in adirection similar to that in which the spiral or helix was rotated,thereby causing the projection II to travel along a spiral path backagain to its original position, thereby shutting off the supply.

In Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings a catch J is shown, which theprojection or stop 1-1 in its backward spiral movement engages andraises so as to close the valve J. This closin g may be eifected by thecatch J engaging a flange on the end of a vertical valve-spindle, suchasshown.

' the price of gas, electricity,

If a change in 850., takes place, the corresponding adjustment of themechanism may be effected by changing a wheel in the gearing between thewheel A and between the meter or time-keeping device and the stopmechanism. In the drawings such a wheel K is shown carried in a movablebracket or bearing K, which bracket moves in a slot K and is secured inany desired position by a set-screw K L is a pointer moving on a dial L(shown only in 1) and attached to a rod Z, which works in harmony withthe stop H on spindle G and indicates its position at any instant, andtherefore the amount of gas, 850., still unconsumed. Moving with the rodL and spindle G is a bolt L which, when a predetermined number of coinshas been inserted, enters the coin-slot D transversely and prevents theinsertion of any more coins until under the action of the meter the boltis withdrawn.

It will be understood that the arrangements herein described may bereversed, and the portions described as being driven by the coinmechanism may be driven by the meter mechanism or time-keeping device,or vice versa, but we prefer the arrangement shown in the drawings andherein described.

What we claim as our invention is- 1. In a coin-freed mechanism, thecombination of a rotatable coin-carrying disk having a coin-receivingslot and a notched periphery, an escapement-wheel, a pawl engaging saidwheel and having a portion located underneath the notch of the coin-diskand gearing whereby the rotation of the escape ment-wheel releases thesupply mechanism, the construction and operation being such that theescapement-wheel is released from the pawl when the coin-disk is in sucha position that said portion of the pawl can enter the notch,substantially as described.

2. In a coin-freed apparatus, the combination of coin-released devices,a spiral rotated by the said coin devices, and a slotted cylinderoperated by the meter mechanism, a projection engaging in the coils ofthe spiral and locking with the slotted cylinder whereby when the latteris rotated the projection is moved along the axis of the spiral or helixa given distance in one direction and when the slot-ted cylinder isrotated such projection is moved back again along the spiral path,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to'this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM ALEXANDER. WILLIAM EDWARD THOMPSON.

lVitnesses:

G. O. DYMOND, W. H. Bnns'ron.

